Folding ladder.



Patentedec. I6, |902.

H. LABRANcHE & F. Tumor.

FOLDING LADDER.

(Application tiled July 24, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Iii/72058855 777%.

'mi NoRms PETERS 0. PHoTvJ-Lmo,. WASHINGTON, D4 c,

HENRI LABR'ANOHE'AND FERNAND THIROT', OF PARIS, FRANCE.

FOLDING LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,057, dated December16, 1902.

Application filed July 24,1902. Serial No. 116,807.

T0 a/ZZ whom it muy concern.-

Beit known that we, HENRI LABRANCHE and FERNAND THIROT, citizens of theRepub-` lic of France, residinglat 114 Avenue de Sui'-` fren, Paris, inthe Republic of France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Ladders, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relatesto an improved folding ladder of the kindwhichcomprises rigid sides connected together by means of steps the ends ofwhich are pivoted or jointed to the said sides, so that thelatter can bebrought together the one against the other when the ladder is not inuse.

The improvements which form the subjectmatter of the present inventionare for the purpose of providing a ladder of this kind which will bestrong, stable, easy to use, and cheap to make. We will describe thesame in reference to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way ofeXample, several forms in which our invention can be carried out.

Figurel is a front elevation of a slidable ladder, such ladder not beingopened out. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same ladder opened out. Fig. 3shows a side elevation of the same ladder shut up again. Fig. 4 is avertical section of the lower part of oneof the sides of the ladder, ona larger scale, on the'linel 4: of Fig. 5. same part of the side on theline' 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6 6 ofFig. 7, and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

The double ladder comprises two single ladders A and B, adapted to slideone on the other. Each ladder comprises two rigid sides c. and b soshaped in cross-section as to correspond to the form of steps which haveto come into housings let in for the same in the said sides, and alsosteps c, the ends of which are engaged in grooves in the sides of theladder and jointed to studs or pivots f, fixed in the said sides. Whenthe side b is by moving it upward brought against the side c, the stepsturn on their pivots, come together, and areinclosed within the groovesof the sides, so that the latter can come together and occupy but a verylittlespace On the inner surfaces of the sides of the Fig. 5 is averticalsection of the,

(No model.)

ladder, on either side oftheir groove, are

A.fined bands g, of metal or other suitable material, which serve aswear-plates. Through the lower step or bar c is arranged a pin h, whichalso passes at a certain distance from the corresponding stud fthrough asupplementary part e' of the side a., rigidly fixed to the lower part ofthe latter as well as through metal plates y, attached to the inner oradjacent surfaces of the said part i. There may be a similar arrangementat the upper part of the side b of the ladder. Each pin 7i prevents thecorresponding step or bar from oscillating relatively to the side Ct orb, whether upward or downward, so that all the steps or bars are held atan invariable angle relatively to the sides of the ladder, and thenladder cannot get out of shape and allow the left or right side to movedownward, as said pin z serves as a lock. lnsteadof a pin h,put in placebyhand, we may use a springbolt or other equivalent locking part ormember. The pins, bolts, or the like are drawn out when it is desired toshut up the ladder. To prevent loss of the pins, they are connected bymeans of chains to the eyes h.

The steps or bars comprise each two parts d e, telescoping one into theother, so as to vary the distance apart at which the sides are held andwiden the ladder. One of the intermediate steps or bars c is made in onepiece, and the step or steps above the same are so arranged that theouter tubes d abut against the pivot-heads of the inner tubes e. Theupper parts of the sides of the ladder are thus held at a certaindistance apart when the steps are horizontal, while being capable ofmoving a farther distance apart. On the otherhand, the greatest distanceapart of the lower parts of the sides c and b is limited by means of arod k, located within the lowermost step or bar, jointed to thecorrespending studf and provided with a head Z, against which abuts theinner end ot" tube e. This arrangement does not prevent the sides frombeing brought parallel one to the other nor from being brought againsteachother by moving the side b upward.

The tubes d and e are arranged alternately from one step to another, soas to keep the step perfectly rigid and stable.

IOO

The ladders A and B are located the one against the other, and theiradjacent sides are embraced by catches m and n, which allow the same toslide and keep them together. The lower catches m are fixed to theladder A, and the upper catches n are xed to the ladder B. The lattercatches are provided, Figs. 6 and 7, in front with-pivots 0, on

which are mounted collars p, sustaining a shaft q, and on this shaft areformed two arms r, which rest on one of the steps or bars of the ladderB. When the ladder A is moved upward, the steps of the same cause thearms r to oscillate each in turn and also the shaft q in the same manneras pawls, the said arms falling again each time by their own weight ontothe step, so that the ladder A thus moved up cannot move down again ofitself and remains suspended on the arms r. A pin s, formed on the shaftg and Working in a notch t of one of the collars p, prevents the pawlsor dogs r from being turned over in a forward direction. This stop canalso be operated by hand at will to move up the dogs when it is desiredto move down the ladder B. The ladder thus formedl may, of course, beprovided with pulleys, cords, and other accessories now used for slidingladders.

We reserve to ourselves the right of applying the hereinbefore-describedimprovements to stools, foot-steps, stairs, furniture, tents, and other,objects constructed in a similar manner to the presentladder. Incertain cases instead of single steps we may use several bars, eitherrigid or telescopic, located one by the side of another, so as to form astep of a certain width.

1. A folding slidable ladder, comprising side rails each having a groovein its inner side, telescopic bars or rungs pivoted to said side railsand extended into said grooves, pins for passing through the rungs andthe inner parts of the side rails, and metal plates attached to the saidparts of the side rails and having openings to receive the. pins.

2. A folding slidable sectional ladder, comprising side rails, eachhaving a groove in its inner side, telescopic bars or rungs pivoted tosaid side rails within said grooves, catches on one of the sections ofthe ladder and embracing the sides of the other section, collarspivotally connected to said catches, shafts mounted in said collars, anddogs extended from said shafts and adapted .to rest on a rung of onesection of the ladder to engage any rung of the other section.

3. A ladder comprising` side rails, rungs consisting of telescopictubular sections pivoted to the rails, one of said sections having anend closure provided with an opening, and a rod extended from the otherof said tubes and engaging with its pivot, the said rod also passingthrough said opening and having a head.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signedour names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRI LABRANCHE. FERNAND THIROT.

Witnesses:

MAURICE ROUX, EDWARD P. MACLEAN.

